Black Lung

A new study helps to reveal why African Americans are more adversely affected by tobacco use:

Researchers found that in African Americans, darker skin
specifically that acquired by sun exposure, not genetics is directly
linked to smoking frequency and dependence. “African Americans are known to have a more difficult time quitting
and suffer from more tobacco-related diseases,” said [study author] Gary King.... Melanin pigments, which determine skin color, bind tightly to nicotine.
As a consequence, nicotine and tobacco’s cancer-causing agents tend to
linger and accumulate in other melanin-containing tissues like the
heart, lungs, liver and brain, potentially putting those organs at
increased risk for tobacco-related diseases.

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